CRÉATION AFRICA: The inner-city Joburg bookseller who is breaking barriers
Johannesburg’s literary district is under siege as the City’s clean-up campaigns drive booksellers off the streets. But Bridge Books founder Griffin Shea has a bigger dream – to build a digital platform designed to give independent booksellers a fighting chance and change how South Africans buy books.
Johannesburg's literary district is facing a challenge as the city's cleanup campaigns force booksellers out of their locations. Griffin Shea, the founder of Bridge Books, is determined to create a solution for independent booksellers. On a Thursday morning, the store at Helen Joseph Street, with its wooden bookshelves and reading lounge, provides a sanctuary for readers.
Shea's mission is to establish a digital platform that empowers independent booksellers and revolutionizes how South Africans purchase books. The city's "clean-up" campaign has resulted in the loss of around 15-20% of local booksellers, causing a decrease in foot traffic and impacting the community. Shea emphasizes the importance of supporting small businesses and proposes a solution through his EasyBooks project, which aims to create a comprehensive database of books available for sale in South Africa, making it easier for independent retailers to access and order books.
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